The Music Generation Mayo Instrument Banks are a countywide resource offering a rental scheme of a huge variety of instruments to young people under 18 years of age, resident in Co.Mayo. Instrument are availble to rent at a nominal fee for a six month period with renewals possible based on demand. 

There are three discrete banks to servie the entire county situated in Castlebar, Ballina and Belmullet. They are house and administered by Mayo County Library - for futher details on instruments available, terms, conditions and rental fees please visit Mayo County Library website 

Click on the image below to watch a video of the Castlebar launch: 

Press Release: Since its inception in 2011, Music Generation Mayo, part of Music Generation - Ireland's National Music Education Programme, initiated by Music Network and co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, The Department of Education and Skills and Local Music Education Partnerships; has implemented a range of music education services for young people in Mayo as well as continued professional development opportunities for musicians.  It is managed and co-funded locally by Co.Mayo Music Education Partnership (MEP), an inter-agency partnership comprising the following organisations: Mayo, Sligo & Leitrim ETB,  Mayo County Council Arts Office, Mayo Community Engagement Network, Local Community Development Committee and Education Centre.

The partnership has procured a countywide instrument bank administered via Mayo County Council Library Service. Speaking about the initiative, Anne McCarthy, Arts Officer for Mayo County Council, said “evidence of the need for an accessible bank of good quality musical instruments became apparent during an extensive consultation phase.  It emerged that lack of access to affordable instruments was a major barrier to music-making for young people in the county.”

Music Generation Mayo in partnership with Mayo County Council Library Service has also developed an extensive music library resource for the county.  The Music Generation Mayo Library Resource holds a wide range of sheet music, books, CDs, DVDs and access to online resources which will be available to library users in the county.  This resource will be stored in Mayo County Library but will be accessible through the inter-library loan service in local branches countywide and will be of great value and support to music students, music teachers and music enthusiasts throughout the county.

Both initiatives will be administered by the Mayo County Council Library Service.  “Mayo County Library are delighted to work with Music Generation Mayo in realising these complimentary new music resources for young people and musicians in the county” said County Librarian Austin Vaughan. 

"Learning to appreciate music is not only a skill but a great gift to a young person, stated An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D., who will officially launched the South West Mayo bank in 2013, “like reading and writing, it is an ability they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.  The development of the Music Generation Mayo Library Resource and the Mayo County Community Forum Instrument Bank will mean that young people with an interest in music can access not only educational material but also high quality instruments in their local library.  This is a service that may well serve as a model for other counties around the country.  I look forward to launching this great resource for our young people and I pay tribute to the agencies involved in bringing it to fruition." 

Do you have good quality instrument/s gathering dust at home that you'd like to donate or swap for another that you'd prefer to try out?

Music Generation Mayo would like to faciliate the sharing of instruments between people and will be using this page to display any information submitted by members of the public. Please contact us if you wish to to participate.

Please note: MGM cannot be responsible for any transactions / agreements between individuals and is involved only with respect to making information available via our website.